Marine Observations
The Bureau of Meteorology routinely collects and disseminates marine observations from:

• the Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) scheme - a small number of these vessels have also been recruited into the Voluntary Observing Ship Climate Project (VOSClim) as part of a special high-quality reference network;
• the Ship of Opportunity Programme (SOOP);
• drifting buoys and floats - BoM is a contributor to the international Argo float deployment project;
• wave-measuring instrumentation.
  

Marine Forecasts
The Bureau of Meteorology issues forecasts and warnings for coastal waters and the high seas, along with a range of additional material such as weather charts and reports of value to mariners. Many of BoM's other products and services also rely heavily on marine observations. The National Climate Centre (NCC), for example, uses sea surface temperature anomalies over the Pacific and Indian Oceans to prepare three-month Seasonal Climate Outlooks, issued each month.

Satellite Observations
The Bureau of Meteorology routinely eceives, processes and distributes images and data from weather satellites. It is a partner in the Western Australian Satellite Technology and Applications Consortium (WASTAC), which maintains a comprehensive, accessible archive of NOAA-AVHRR and SeaWiFS satellite data. In an exciting upcoming project, the new-generation Geostationary Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer (GIFTS) is expected to be positioned over the Indian Ocean some 18 months after its 2004 launch. The Bureau of Meteorology will then be responsible for data reception, product generation and subsequent distribution of the GIFTS data to weather services and global Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) centres. The GIFTS high-resolution vertical and horizontal measurements of winds, water vapour and temperature in the atmosphere will potentially lead to significantly improved weather forecasts over land and ocean.

Climate Initiatives
The Bureau of Meteorology is active in the work of the Indian Ocean Climate Initiative (IOCI), through BMRC research and WA Regional Office support. The climate shift in Southwest WA over recent decades has been a major focus of attention. Research to date has clearly identified the need for a better understanding of the processes of the Indian Ocean and the need for greatly enhanced observations of the ocean

Modelling
The Bureau of Meteorology Research Centre (BMRC) has a high reputation for meteorological and oceanographic research. In particular BMRC's Ocean and Marine Forecasting Group has the mission to describe, understand and model the variability of the oceans and the marine environment of the Australian region, and to develop systems for monitoring and predicting coastal, marine and ocean variations for application in the Bureau's operations and services

JCOMM
The new IOC-WMO Joint Commission on Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM), which, among other responsibilities, now coordinates and manages the implementation of an operational ocean observing system internationally in support of GOOS and GCOS, including SOOP and the VOS scheme, is chaired by a BoM person, as is JCOMM's Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP).

GODAE
The Bureau of Meteorology plays a leading role in the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE), providing both the project chairman and the Project Office. The aim of GODAE is to demonstrate the feasibility and practicality of real-time global ocean data modelling and assimilation systems, both in terms of their implementation and in terms of their utility.